The item that started it all for Lewis Hamilton revealed by his father

Sam Cook Tuesday 20 January 2026 16:56

Anthony and Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari colours

Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony Hamilton has revealed the one item that started it all for his seven-time champion son.

Hamilton has gone on to become the most successful driver in the history of F1, tying Michael Schumacher's record number of world championships, as well as usurping the German legend at the top of the all-time lists of grand prix wins, podiums and pole positions.

The Brit has raced in the sport since the 2007 season, following a championship win in GP2 back in 2006, as well as a highly successful junior racing career.

But now Anthony Hamilton has gone even further back than that, in a post on his Instagram page.

Hamilton senior has posted a picture of a beaten up remote controlled car, which he says was Lewis' when he was just five years old.

In an emotional post, Hamilton's dad wrote: "I have this in my office at home and look at it every day. This is the original remote controlled car that started this journey in 1990 when Lewis was five years old.

Hamilton looking to bounce back in 2026

After 19 great years in F1, there is every chance that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for Hamilton's time in the sport.

He is now 41 years of age, and his 2025 season was underwhelming, as the Brit finished sixth in the drivers' championship.

2025 was the first year of Hamilton's new partnership with Ferrari, but he finished 86 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, and is set to be out of contract at the end of the 2026 season.

Nevertheless, Hamilton will be hopeful that 2026 can see a turnaround in his fortunes, with new regulations sweeping into the sport that could see Ferrari able to give him and Leclerc better machinery.

On top of this, the car designs are going to be so different that there's no telling which drivers will suit the new generation of cars. They could well be more suited to Hamilton's supreme talents than the ground effect cars, which were in place between 2022-2025 and saw Hamilton only pick up two grand prix victories across four seasons.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Anthony Hamilton